If you are planning to travel around North Africa, there are a few things you have to know about the region. It is a beautiful place that is rich in culture, and has a lot of sight that you will remember for the rest of your life. Here are a few North Africa facts that you should know.

North Africa facts: Egypt

One of the oldest civilizations in the world is Egypt. There are countless wonders found in this vast country. Pyramids are one of the greatest man made structures in the world. It made the Egyptians ahead of their time when they were built. It truly is a wonder because of the exact measurements that the Pyramids had, considering the limited technology they had during that time. They were built mostly from man power with the help of simple machines such as pulleys. During the height of the Egyptian civilization, it was the Pharaohs that were probably the most powerful people in the planet.

North Africa facts: Bonjour!

Some people might find it surprising, but one of the most used languages in North Africa is French. Most parts of Africa were colonized by the French, and this is why you’ll hear a lot of French speakers in this part of the African continent. These include Morocco, Algeria, and Egypt. It was around the 1800s that France, Britain, and Portugal colonized most of Africa.

North Africa facts: Morocco

One of the ideal places to visit when going to North Africa is Morocco. It is a favorite destination amongst tourists, and there are a number of people that decide to retire there. It is a beautiful place indeed. It was given independence from French rule in 1956 and it recently annexed Western Sahara. Another famous feature of Morocco is Casablanca. It is the largest city of Morocco, and it was made famous by the movie named after it.

It really is a nice thing to travel. As long as you are prepared, you will get the most out of your vacation, because you will know what sights to see, and why certain places are of significance. GP

A lot of people still don’t know a lot of things that are happening all over the globe. The situation is very harsh especially in Africa where people are starving, sick, and in constant danger of their lives. It is important to know some West Africa facts so that we may have a little drive to stand up and do something (a simple donation of $1 will go a far way). Here are some facts that you have to know about some countries in West Africa.

West Africa facts: Mali

Mali is known to be one of the poorest countries in the world and the distribution of wealth is very unequal. What makes it harder for them is that the country consists mostly of desert terrain (Sahara), and it is hard to inhabit such a harsh environment. This is one of the few reasons why Mali has very little resources.

West Africa facts: Senegal

The hard truth about Senegal is that people are in constant fear for their lives. There is a lot of separatist violence caused by the Gambia and Guinea-Bissau by doing cross-boarder raids. What makes it even worse is that it lead to another problem which is arms smuggling. Because of these separatists, a lot of assault weapons are smuggled into Senegal by arms merchants. It becomes and endless cycle of violence and arms smuggling.

West Africa facts: Ghana

The constant problem with Ghana has been drug trafficking. There are numerous cannabis plantations, and it is also a hub for heroine and even cocaine. It has been a difficult situation to control, since it is a poor country. People are starving and therefore this is the only means in which they can earn money. Imagine that some of them live by a dollar a day.

These are just some of the hard facts about West Africa. Being aware of what is happening should get our bones moving and do something. After all, every bit of help will do wonders. It doesn’t even have to be money, and you don’t even have to go to Africa to volunteer. The mere act of spreading the word and raising people’s awareness will go a long way. GP

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History and Nature

•    The world’s second highest waterfall called Tugela Falls can be found here.  Its water tumbles down from 850 meters.
•    Two billion years ago, a meteor plummeted to South Africa.  In fact, the world’s oldest meteor scar can be found there in Vredefort Dome right across Vaal River and very near Parys.

•    Some of the world’s most ancient rocks are in Barberton, Mpumalanga – they are formed over three billion years ago.  And because they are the most accessible formations, NASA scientists come to gain idea on how life might have formed on distant planets.

•    Out of the 18,000 indigenous vascular species of plants found in South Africa, 80% are uniquely from South Africa itself.

•    Another interesting fact about South Africa is the biodiversity of its grasslands which are greater than the rainforests since there are 30 species of plants per square kilometer living there.

•    You can find Blyde River Canyon – the world’s greenest and third largest canyon (the U.S. Grand Canyon is the biggest while Fish River Canyon located in Namibia is the second, however, both are as dry as bones).

Food and Wine

•    South Africa has R62 wine route, which is considered to be the world’s longest wine route.

•    In the United States, Walt Disney serves only South African wine in its Animal Kingdom Lodge (spanning 73 acres).

•    Other interesting facts about South Africa include their restaurants that are serving monkey gland steak, but without the real internal organ in it.  This was just a pointed insult invented by overseas chefs many decades ago and aimed at Johannesburg inhabitants who poured tomato sauce and Worcestershire over everything.

•    This country is the largest producer of oils and macadamia nuts exported to various countries in the world.

Industry and Innovation

•    The South African people are natural inventors – they gave automatic pool cleaner and breakwater to the world.

•    General Motors in South Africa is the only manufacturing site to build Hummer H3 vehicle outside of the U.S.

•    This country is also the one and only producer of right hand drive, C class Mercedes Benz.

•    The most viable, the largest, and the first oil-from-coal refinery came from South Africa (right now supplying 40% of their petrol).

•    The country designs and creates the flight control technology used in Britain’s fighter jets and makes Concorde seats.  In fact, it may come as a surprise to you that one of its physicists co-developed CAT-scan.

These are among the most interesting facts about South Africa that you might not have known until now. GP

Johannesburg Past

In 1886, who would have known that an unemployed miner will find a stone that bears traces of gold?  This event began the discovery of Johannesburg, which was then considered as the richest treasure trove.

Due to this, people from around the world have flocked to the city, and this landscape has changed overnight.  There were shantytowns that came up, which later transformed into the modern concrete cities you can see today.

At the time, Johannesburg was known as the world’s gold capital.  And because of these discovered facts about Africa Johannesburg, the country was propelled into economic boom.

Johannesburg Present

Even today, the remains of the shantytowns can be seen.  It now houses millions of South African poor people.

Actually, it’s quite ironic that less than one mile from these shanties, you will see the luxurious and opulent mansions owned by the rich.  And the obvious tension in between the poor and the rich is very apparent.  This is why the city has a high crime rate, made obvious by the razor wire and high walls of these mansions.

Johannesburg Travel

Even if the facts about Africa Johannesburg say that there are quite a few tourist sights in the city, you can still explore the covered shopping malls in the northern suburbs.  And when you have found a way to get around (either through a tourist guide or just by yourself in a car), you will find the stimulating energy, diversity, and history of the city that are quite compelling.

Tour around and discover a lot of fascinating art galleries and museums such as Museum Africa found in Newton.  There are also several suburbs with a café culture that has been steadily thriving in the area.  By evening, these cafes will transform into lively restaurants.

There are also shops that have excellent African art.  You can look at striking buildings or catch a bit of soccer in their stadium.

Johannesburg offer stylish, large, and 5-star hotel accommodations.  These hotels span huge properties, and they’re famous for providing some peace and seclusion away from the frantic city.

The most exciting activity that you can ever do to learn fantastic facts about Africa Johannesburg is to tour the safari.  And for your convenience, the city has an international airport that offers flights directly to all the South African attractions – from safari reserves to coastal towns. GP

In Africa, it is estimated that there are 1,800 languages spoken across the continent.  There are some languages such as Yoruba, Hausa, and Swahili that millions of people speak.  However, there are others such as Dahalo, Shabo, and Laal which are only spoken by a few hundred.

Some exceptional facts about Africa language include the following:

•    The only country in Africa that speaks the same language (Somali) among their people is Somalia.
•    Many African languages include a clicking sound that is usually pronounced as other sounds at the same time.  In order to do this properly, you must learn it early in childhood.
•    There is a wide diversity of sign languages in Africa, wherein many of their genetic classification has not yet been worked out.
•    For special purposes, several languages in the continent are also whistled.
Language Families

Generally, African languages are divided into four families namely, Khoisan, Niger-Congo, Nilo-Saharan, and Afro-Asiatic.  These classifications do not include several other languages that are unclassified, as well as sign languages.

When you look at the history of many African countries, you will notice that they have searched for national unity after gaining independence.  Because of this, they elected only one language for people to use in education and government.

In recent years however, there has been an increasing awareness of the facts about Africa language and they realized the great importance of multilingualism or linguistic diversity.

Language Features

Some language features appear cross-linguistically common to the other languages that are spoken in Africa.  Even if there are other features that seem to be uncommon, the similarities in language is said to emanate from similar cultural background and language contact (which results to some language borrowing).

Frequently, there is only one term being used for both meat and animal.  In addition, the word nyama or nama for meat/animal is particularly widespread.  Other common features and facts about Africa language consist of certain phoneme types, labial-velar stops, clicks, initial nasal clusters on consonants, and lower high vowels.

Language Tone

Tonal languages are particularly numerous in Africa.  The Khoisan and Nilo-Saharan, as well as a large majority of Niger-Congo language are fully tonal.  Futhermore, tonal languages are also found in Chadic, Omotic, as well as in the East and South Cushitic Afro-Asiatic branches.

Some tonal languages are also found around the world, most notably in South-America (Brazil and Mexico), Austronesia, and Asia.  Generally, tonal processes like downdrift, downstep, tone shift, and tone spread make up some of the characteristics considered as true facts about Africa language.  GP

There are more than six billion people living in Africa.  Although it’s the world’s second largest continent, the population density in a few of its regions is quite low.  This is partly due to the huge Sahara desert – this area is occupying at least one-fourth of its landmass yet it’s not fit for habitation.

While in areas that support agriculture, population density here is slightly higher and closer to world average.  Certain facts about Africa population include the following:

•    Countries that are more economically developed have lower birth and death statistics.
•    On the other hand, less developed countries have high birth and death rates.
•    Wars, diseases, and famine have affected population growth over the last decade.
•    Currently as a whole, the continent has 3% population growth rate.

Demographic Study

However, there was a recently published demographic study reviewing current and projected population trends in the Sub-Saharan areas of Africa.  It also covers the development of the region as well.  Basically, this study demolished the general idea that there is under-population in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The study was commissioned and coordinated by French agencies (AFD and CEPED).  A joint team of specialist academics and scientists from Ivory Coast, France, Cameroon, and Belgium performed the work.

Other facts about Africa population found in the study reveal the following:

•    There are roughly 32 inhabitants for every two kilometers, and two out of three people are under the age of 25.
•    Two-thirds of the population is living in rural areas, however, there’s also massive migration to other towns and cities.
•    In 1960, only Johannesburg registered a population of more than one million, while today there are 40 countries having more than a million residents.

Family Planning

Since African countries have little access to education about contraception, it is estimated that there are more than five children for every woman living there.  Modern contraceptive methods are being used by 20% (or less) of the women, which contributes to the continent’s strong population growth.

Because of these facts about Africa population, the social and economic developments of the countries in the continent are being hampered.  If the nations want to reduce poverty, population policies must be developed.

Population Explosion

Generally, there has been phenomenal population growth particularly in the Sub-Saharan African regions since the start of the 20th century.  Population has indeed increased from 100 million (1990) to 770 million (2005).  And the latest projection of facts about Africa population from the United Nations envisions around two billion inhabitants populating the continent until 2050.

Some interesting facts about Africa also includes the following:

•    Population. – a complete census of the population was never done in Africa due to its huge size
•    Inhabitants – plenty of wild animals and a large number of tribal beings live there
•    Language – over a thousand varieties are being used in the entire area

Nature and Tourist Attractions

Africa has the shortest coastlines and bays.  The largest desert in the world – Sahara Desert – is found there.  In fact this desert is so huge that it is said to be larger than continental U.S.  Another desert is the Namib Desert which is considered to be the oldest living desert today.

If you want to see an abundant and diverse wildlife, you better check out Africa.  With its gorillas, great white sharks, and 2,300 species of birds (among others), you will never run out of animals to watch.

The famous Nile River, wonderful Victoria Falls, and the big Fish River Canyon – these tourist spots contain some interesting facts about Africa.  Added to that, this continent also boasts of the best surf spots globally.

Business and Economy
Starting a business in Ethiopia (one of the African countries) would only cost you about $75.  However, this country also has the least access to a safe sanitation.  On the other hand, Kenya and South Africa are considered to be the most affluent countries in the continent.

It would take you seven days to start your business in Mauritius and Madagascar, while in Guinea Bissau, it will take 233 days.  And if you want to do trading, there are some interesting facts about Africa that you should know – Ethiopia has one mobile phone for every 100 people and nearly no one has access to internet in Liberia.

Diseases and Medicine

Almost 25 million people have AIDS in Africa and 90% of all the world’s malaria cases are there.  Still, you can find the largest hospital in the world which is housed in Soweto.

There are thousands of women dying while giving birth.  In Sierra Leone alone, 2,000 out of 100,000 women die during live birth.  However, this figure goes down to 15 women in Mauritius.

And since Africa appears to be truly unique, you will definitely be fascinated by its culture too.  So before you visit, make sure that you get to know some interesting facts about Africa and the countries comprising it. GP

Travel can be one of the best things that any person can experience. You get a first-hand experience of different cultures, people, and customs. This can truly change your paradigm, and it is one of the best educational tools out there. Imagine being actually at the places that you’ve only read about in history books. This is the reason why it’s a good idea to expose your kids to travel. One way to get them into the habit is by telling them interesting things about a certain place. If it’s Africa, here are a few Africa facts for kids.

Africa facts for kids: They have Zebras!

Zebras are black and white striped animals that run across the plains of Africa. They look a lot like horses, and the main difference between them are the stripes. These stripes are what you would call “Camouflage”. This helps them hide from dangerous predators such as lions, tigers, hyenas, and wolves. Zebras are herbivorous animals, which mean they only eat plants.

Africa facts for kids: Traveling the Forests

Forests make up 25% of Africa’s landmass. It is at these forests that a lot of animals seek shelter, and most of them are located at the Congo basin. A variety of species of plans and animals can be found in these forests and this is why it is so colorful. It can be easy to get lost in these forests, and that’s why it’s a good idea to get a local guide when traveling these parts of Africa. A guide would know what places are nice to go to, and which ones are dangerous. He or she would also know a number of survival tactics, and can teach you these so that the next time you will be prepared.

Africa facts for kids: Fastest land animals on the planet

For some reason, 4 out of the 5 fastest animals all live in Africa. These are the Cheetah, Gazelle, Lion, and the Wildebeest. They have been made fast runners by nature for two reasons: For hunting, and surviving. In fact, it is quite a spectacle to see a lion running after a gazelle. GP

Nothing but the Truth

Here are some facts about Africa that will come handy when you choose to travel for adventure. If you enjoy the safari, the desert and the grand beaches, here are some facts worth knowing:

•    Africa covers about 20.3% of the total land area of the world.

•    The most populated country in Africa is Nigeria with a population of around 130 million.

•    Africa has the longest river in the world, the Nile.  It traverses Uganda, Ethipia, Sudan, and Egypt.

•    Did you know that the fastest animals in the world are in Africa? It is home to the cheetah, the wildebeest, lion, and the gazelle.

•    The Malawi Lake in South Africa hosts 500 different species of fish and that is more than any place on earth.

•    Geneticist believes that the oldest tribe in the world lives in Africa where the forefathers of mankind lived before migrating to the other parts of the world.

•    Africa is almost like Australia, a big island continent but Africa has a tiny land connection in the Sinai Peninsula near Egypt.

•     Do you agree that the lion is the king of the wild? But in Africa it’s the crocodile which has the notorious record of killing more people on an annual basis.

•    Imagine how vast Africa is. A review of facts about Africa reveals that the Sahara Desert is so big that only three countries in the world is bigger in terms of land area, they are: Canada, China, and Russia.

•    Vilakazi St.-  The only street in the whole world where 2 Nobel Peace prize winners are neighbors. Nelson Mandela lives in this same community with Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

•    How many languages do you speak? If you’re planning to explore Africa be ready. The continent is home to around 1800 languages. The oldest tribe even uses clicks, a form of language not known to the rest of the world.

•    For 4000 years, the Great Pyramid of Giza is the tallest man made structure in the planet until it was surpassed by the Eiffel Tower

These facts about Africa maybe sad, funny, interesting, or trivial but one common reaction to people exploring Africa and knowing this first hand is –Wow!

This country is one of the few around the world which have many official languages. Actually, it has eleven official languages which include Afrikaans, Setswana, Xhosa, Sesotho, Zulu, and English.

Despite the fact that this country is categorized as a third world country, its natural resources and exports provide a contrasting view of its richness. The country’s main exports are gold and diamonds. It also supplies foreign countries with metal, minerals, and other precious stones. These days, it is also associated with car and machinery exports.

The country leads the rest of the world when it comes to mining and minerals. South Africa is the world’s source of ninety percent of platinum metals, eighty percent of manganese and seventy-three percent of chrome.

South Africa is also known as the world’s biggest producer of the very popular macadamia nuts. These nuts and its oil extracts are exported to various countries around the globe.

May 31st   celebrates the country’s independence. Contrary to the Independence Day celebration of other countries, this national holiday is not a commemoration of their freedom from foreign control. Rather, it serves as the annual celebration of the day when South Africans were granted the right to vote for the first time.

Meteor Scar

The country’s territory is home to our planet’s oldest meteor scar. The scar is called the Vredefort Dome and it is located near the Vaal River in Parys. According to geological studies, the meteor that caused the scar crashed on the Earth’s surface about two billion years ago.

The Grasslands

The grasslands of South Africa provide a great venue for ecological exploration. These grasslands offer an average count of thirty species for every square kilometer. As such, these South African territories are far more biologically diverse than most rainforests around the world.

The Provinces

The country is only composed of nine provinces. These include Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Cape, Mpumalanga, North West, Gauteng, Northern Province, Free State, and Eastern Cape.

Vilakazi Street in Soweto is the only street around the globe which serves as the home of two winners in the Nobel Peace Awards. These two winners are Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

The African Diamonds

In 1905, the world’s largest diamond was found in South Africa. The Cullinan weighed 3,106.75 carats. It was then cut into several pieces. Among the most prominent pieces were the Great Star of Africa which weighed 530.2 carats and the Lesser Star of Africa that weighed 317.40 carats. These precious stones are now part of the jewelry collection of the British crown. The rest of the Cullinan were divided into 104 other diamonds. GP